Jessica Simpson to Mentor on ‘Fashion Star’

Jessica Simpson presides over a fashion empire that features handbags, shoes and jeans. In fact, Simpson's clothing endeavors would appear to generate more income than her music career ever has. The singer is further deepening her connection to the fashion world by taking on the role of mentor to aspiring fashion designers on NBC's upcoming 'Fashion Star' reality series.

The contestants will vie for a multi-million dollar contract, which will allow them to launch their own brand. Simpson will serve as a mentor and an advisor to the competitors. The show isn't a 'Project Runway' retread, as it will be taped in front of a studio audience and will feature music, models and dancers, along with the weekly challenges. So if you like pop music and fashion, this show should get your juices flowing.

Simpson, 30, is a clotheshorse of the highest order, and she also rose to fame in her own reality show, 'Newlyweds,' which also starred her now ex-husband, Nick Lachey. So 'Fashion Star' is the collision of two worlds in which Simpson has been incredibly successful. Simpson and her little sister, the equally fashionable Ashlee, are working on a tween-focused line, which debuts this fall.

The air dates for 'Fashion Star' are TBD.

Simpson has drifted far away from the pop music scene which birthed her. Her last pop album was 2006's 'A Public Affair,' which she followed with 2008's country debut, 'Do You Know.'